"I still find it hard to accept this reality, even now…"
The Third Hokage let out a long, weary sigh, pain flickering across his face. He was the one least willing to confront a truth this absurd and cruel, because it strongly suggested that the so-called Uchiha might not, in fact, be a genuine Uchiha at all.
Others might not know, but he was fully aware of the experiment Danzō and Orochimaru had once carried out to "reproduce the Wood Release kekkei genkai."
Although he had ultimately ordered it halted due to its excessive cruelty,
based on his understanding of Danzō, his longtime associate, and Orochimaru, his former disciple, neither of them was someone who would quietly obey orders. The word "law-abiding" had nothing to do with those two. Perhaps the experiment had indeed been stopped on the surface, but in secret… it was very likely still ongoing.
And if there had already been experiments aimed at reproducing the Wood Release kekkei genkai,
then research into the Uchiha clan's Mangekyō Sharingan would hardly be a problem. Compared to recreating Wood Release, studying the Mangekyō Sharingan should actually be easier, considering that his teacher, the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama, had left behind a vast amount of research material on the Uchiha clan's Sharingan.
After all, if it were only the Mangekyō Sharingan, it was entirely possible for a genius to suddenly awaken it within the Uchiha clan after experiencing intense emotional trauma.
But once Wood Release was added to the equation,
the suspicion directed at the Uchiha clan instead shrank dramatically. At the very least, from the Third Hokage's perspective, the Uchiha clan, which had been under ANBU surveillance since the Second Hokage's era, truly had no channel through which they could have accessed the Wood Release kekkei genkai. There was simply no way they could have secretly acquired control over Wood Release without evading ANBU detection.
If the Uchiha clan truly did possess Wood Release,
then they could have overthrown him as Hokage by force alone. An Uchiha clan that wielded both the Sharingan and Wood Release… conquering the ninja world would not even be an exaggeration. And yet, to this day, the Uchiha clan continued to submit obediently to his rule as Hokage. That alone proved they did not possess the strength to flip the table.
Thus, the Uchiha clan's suspicion had been reduced to the bare minimum.
This could not really be called a wild leap of logic on the Third Hokage's part.
From his standpoint, unaware of the existence of Black Zetsu, that number-one agent of chaos in the ninja world, and judging by the many inhumane experiments Danzō and Orochimaru had conducted, placing the blame squarely on those two was not strange at all.
"…The investigation ahead is only going to become more difficult,"
Minato sighed as well.
He did not know about Danzō and Orochimaru's deeds.
But that did not prevent him from narrowing the suspicion placed on the Uchiha clan. Someone who possessed both the Mangekyō Sharingan and Wood Release… the attacker's true identity had become even more elusive. It could be an Uchiha, but it could also be… someone from the Senju clan who had abandoned the Senju name and completely integrated into Konoha.
Thinking that far,
Minato felt his temples beginning to throb.
Things were becoming more and more complicated.
"..."
The Third Hokage said nothing. He simply gazed toward the fossilized forest ahead, where Orochimaru and Inoichi were conducting their search of the battlefield. In his heart, he was already considering how to initiate an investigation into Danzō and Orochimaru once they returned to Konoha.
———
Konoha Hospital
"Dr. Kōyaku, my companion… can she not be saved?"
Seeing the strange look on Dr. Kōyaku's face, Kyoichi's shadow clone could not help but ask.
In his heart, he had already prepared himself for the worst.
A trace of sorrow and deep regret surfaced.
After spending some time together, while they could not be said to share a particularly deep bond, they could at least be considered friends. Feeling saddened was only natural. But stronger than sadness was regret. Ringo Ameyuri's potential had clearly not yet been fully realized, and he had been looking forward to the brilliant radiance she would display once she truly matured.
Yet, those of great talent often die young.
Hōzuki Mangetsu and Ringo Ameyuri seemed almost fated to meet early deaths. Mangetsu was already dead, and now Ringo Ameyuri lay on the hospital bed, barely clinging to life… at this rate, it seemed only a matter of time before she breathed her last.
Once again, it drove home the uncertainty of life and death.
Human beings, were truly fragile.
Orochimaru's obsession with immortality, so deep it bordered on madness… was entirely understandable. Because deep in Kyoichi's heart, there existed a similar obsession.
Just then—
after a long silence, Dr. Kōyaku suddenly spoke.
"She can be saved."
"..."
All the chaotic thoughts in Kyoichi's shadow clone's mind were instantly swept away by those words.
He stared at Dr. Kōyaku,
wanting to say something, but not knowing what to say.
He could only complain inwardly:
If she could be saved, why not say so earlier?!
Still, being able to save her was good news no matter what.
"Then I'll leave my companion's treatment to you,"
Kyoichi's shadow clone said politely.
"Don't rush,"
Dr. Kōyaku raised a hand to stop him. "She can be saved, yes, but that 'can' comes with prerequisite conditions. If those conditions cannot be met, then I cannot save her."
"Prerequisite conditions?"
Kyoichi's shadow clone frowned slightly.
Suspicion crept into his heart. Was this old man planning to use him for something? Did he have an enemy he could not deal with and needed him to eliminate? Or was he planning some sort of deal with Kirigakure through him?
However, the next moment, Dr. Kōyaku's words shattered those wild speculations.
"This child has inherited the bloodline of the Uzumaki clan, hasn't she?"
"Uh…"
Kyoichi's shadow clone hesitated, giving no answer.
"Not answering? That's fine,"
Dr. Kōyaku said calmly, not pressing him. "But you need to understand this: the reason this child suddenly collapsed has nothing to do with injury or poison. She is suffering from the Uzumaki clan's hereditary illness."
He then began to explain plainly and directly.
Very quickly,
Kyoichi realized what kind of predicament Ringo Ameyuri was facing.
As the saying goes, what gives can also take away.
The Uzumaki blood flowing through Ringo Ameyuri granted her extraordinary talent, but at the same time, it burdened her with the curse of an early death. The Uzumaki clan's hereditary illness had manifested within her, a condition that only those with Uzumaki blood could suffer from.
Its symptoms were exactly what Ringo Ameyuri was experiencing now. Her once-vigorous life force had suddenly plummeted to a critical low. If left unchecked, she would simply wither away and die like this.
"Dr. Kōyaku,"
Kyoichi's shadow clone did not mince words.
"What is the prerequisite condition you mentioned?"
***************************
Read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else on my P@treon.
P@treon/GodDragcell